another day, another moment of eternity to share and pay tribute to another being of astonishing light who died on the day after Christmas, the first day of Kwanza when Umoja or unity is celebrated and that seems so appropriate for this being who was known as the father of the rainbow nation….what follows will be a stream of consciousness beginning with my first and only encounter with this astonishing being of light…

some four decades ago, i injoyed the extreme pleasure of spending time “Arch” in the vestibule of the National Cathedral… such twinkling eyes and such merry energy that radiated off of him and then he danced down the aisle of this august and solemn sanctuary, i smile just re-membering the effulgent dancing tutu sauntering along… this Nobel Peace Laureate describes himself growing up in South Africa as an urchin with a penchant for fun and joy, a penchant that remained a constant throughout his ninety turns around the sun no matter what was going on in the world he served as a bodhisattva…

years later, as chair of his country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Tutu listened to accounts of political hatred and physical brutality that might shake anyone’s faith in humanity but Tutu said, “we were constantly being bowled over by the extent to which people were ready and willing to forgive. But we had, obviously, the spectacular example of Nelson Mandela, who could come out of 27 years’ incarceration, so eager to be able to forgive.”

“Let we who believe in freedom and justice be his legacy always,” said Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II of this iconic advocate and guardian of human rights…

in a letter of condolence His Holiness sent to the family of his long time friend, he wrote, “As you know, over the years, your father and I enjoyed an enduring friendship. I remember the many occasions we spent time together, including the week here at Dharamsala in 2015 when we were able to share our thoughts on how to increase peace and joy in the world. The friendship and the spiritual bond between us was something we cherished. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was entirely dedicated to serving his brothers and sisters for the greater common good. He was a true humanitarian and a committed advocate of human rights. His work for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was an inspiration for others around the world. With his passing away, we have lost a great man, who lived a truly meaningful life. He was devoted to the service of others, especially those who are least fortunate. I am convinced the best tribute we can pay him and keep his spirit alive is to do as he did and constantly look to see how we too can be of help to others.”

thanks be for this speaker of truth and towering figure who played a pivotal role in ending apartheid in South Africa, this man who embodied a fierce, love-based liberation theology guided by a moral compass that was unflinching… 

i’ll close this peace with a reminder from the dancing Tutu, “You and I are made for goodness. You and I are creatures who were made for transcendence, were made for love, were made for caring, were made for embracing one another… And that is what is going to prevail.”

and so it is… blessed be…

“Those who have been hurt must be the ones who have the right to propose what it is that will begin to assuage the anguish, or you’ll just be repeating the same cycle of the perpetrator, who is a top dog, prescribing.” ~ Desmond Tutu ~

some four decades ago, i injoyed the extreme pleasure of spending time with today’s representation of all of us as a being of astonishing light in the vestibule of the National Cathedral… such twinkling eyes and such merry energy that radiated off of him and then he danced down the aisle of this august and solemn sanctuary, i smile just re-membering…

Nobel Peace Laureate, Desmond Tutu re-members his boyhood in one of South Africa’s black townships where he describes himself as an urchin with a penchant for fun and joy in recalling a song he sang as a child: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” which came to serve him well later in life in the era of apartheid, when then Archbishop Desmond Tutu railed against the injustice and inhumanity of South Africa’s government with his passionate advocacy helping make the change that came to his country in the 1990s.

Tutu’s first intentions about a career revolved around his first love – medicine – possibly because a bout with tuberculosis as a teenager made a vivid impression as came face to face with the prospect of his own death. “I still can’t believe that that happened to me, but I sat there, and I said to God, ‘Well, if it means I’m going to die, that’s OK.’ I don’t think I’ve ever felt that same kind of peace, the kind of serenity that I felt after acknowledging that maybe I was going to die of this TB.”

years later, as chair of his country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Tutu listened to accounts of political hatred and physical brutality that might shake anyone’s faith in humanity but Tutu says, “we were constantly being bowled over by the extent to which people were ready and willing to forgive. But we had, obviously, the spectacular example of Nelson Mandela, who could come out of 27 years’ incarceration, so eager to be able to forgive.”

decades after that faith-building experience, Tutu says his sense of his relationship to the divine is still evolving, “I am learning to shut up more in the presence of God.” more and more for him, communion with God is about “trying to grow, in just being there.”

i’ll close this peace with a reminder from the dancing Tutu, ” We are indeed made for something more. We are made for goodness.” and so it is… blessed be…